Knicks This Week: Willis Reed as Finals Hero

While it's been nearly 50 years since the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, longtime fans haven't forgotten the dominance the team displayed back in the 1970s.

It all started with the team's first NBA championship, clinched on May 8, 1970.

The team came just short of the NBA Finals the previous season, losing in the Eastern Division Finals against the Boston Celtics in six games, but came back with a vengeance at the turn of the decade.

The team won a franchise-record 60 games (a record that still stands today) and was led by Dave DeBusschere and Walt Frazier among others.

After dismantling the Baltimore Bullets in seven games, the team faced off against Kareem Abdul Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks and won the series in five games, setting the stage for an NBA Finals battle with Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The teams traded wins in each of the first six games, with Games 3 & 4 reaching overtime, but it all led to a decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

During Game 5, center Willis Reed tore his thigh muscle and could not play in Game 6. However, Reed shocked fans and the Lakers by returning for a season-ending Game 7.

Reed's determination helped the Knicks jumped out to a massive double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by 27 at halftime, allowing them to cruise through the second half and win their first NBA championship.

The Knicks became a dynasty when the team won another championship three years later with the same core of players. But after Reed retired in 1974, the Knicks never experienced the same success.

Despite taking place 52 years ago, the 1970 Knicks are still celebrated in the Big Apple today and hold special memories in the hearts and minds of lifelong NBA fans.